


Bergamot and Lemon

by claremontpsych



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Brightwell, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Inspired by Prodigal Son (TV 2019), Malcolm Bright Gets a Hug, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Tea, fluff so sweet it will rot your teeth, tea time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:29:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23165515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/claremontpsych/pseuds/claremontpsych
Summary: “Have you ever wondered what would happen if we combined our teas?” Malcolm asks out of thin air - he’s been thinking that this whole time.“What? No! Are you insane? Earl Grey and Vanilla Chai would not mix!” Dani outright denies, instantly convinced that her boyfriend is a crazy person. Well, she kind of already knew that, but even more now than before.“Okay. Just wondering.” He smiles. He takes a long sip of his tea, thinking about how his mother would feel if she knew that her fine china was used practically every day for the sole purpose of tea with Dani.OR, a one shot in which Malcolm and Dani enjoy some good old fashioned tea time.
Relationships: Malcolm Bright/Dani Powell
Comments: 6
Kudos: 54





	Bergamot and Lemon

Loving Malcolm Bright is a special skill that Dani Powell has acquired since he was dubbed her partner. He’s a pain in the ass of the highest degree, with a direct opposition for authority and an equally as direct lack of regard for his own personal safety. Within the handful of months she has been working with him, and subsequently since the two have begun their relationship, she has witnessed him chop off a man’s hand, point a loaded gun to his own head, and most recently, place his hands on an active landmine and then - in the same day - jump out of a window, landing not-so-gently atop NYPD Lieutenant Gil Arroyo’s 1966 Pontiac LeMans. On top of that, he’s an active landmine of emotions and trauma himself.

As a result of the aforementioned active landmine and crushing of a V.I.C. (very important car), Malcolm has been ordered to take some time off of work, mostly to heal the spattering of purple, blue, red, and green bruises that range from his shoulder blades to his tailbone. Dani, as his girlfriend and one of the very few people in this world to tolerate his antics, has been spending quite some time at his apartment. Coming into the precinct a little bit later in the morning and leaving a little bit earlier, at Gil’s request, to “take care of the kid” - Gil’s words, not hers. This incident has practically allowed Dani to move in, her clothes strewn across his floor even more than his own. She’s learnt that he does, in fact, know how to cook for himself. His medication just makes his stomach very sensitive, so he mostly eats one small meal a day, and otherwise snacks on licorice. He cooks for Dani often, though. She’s cooked for him in return, and she’s learned an infinite amount about the weird little things that make Malcolm Bright into the beautiful man he is.

One of those weird little things is that, as baffling as it is to Dani, he has enough funds to burn a hole into his pocket, and as a result, he loves to spend his money. He’s financially responsible, sure. Well dressed always, with a great job and a…. lifestyle. See, one would expect “stable” to fall between “a” and “lifestyle” there, but Malcolm is far from it. Regardless, his pocket change is always returned to Dani, and all of her wildest wants or needs. Thus, today the pair find themselves drinking tea.

That’s very usual for Malcolm and Dani - she loves her tea, he’ll drink it with her just for the casual intimacy of the moment. It’s different today, however, as Dani has cracked the code on teas that Malcolm enjoys, and his taste tends to differ from her own.

Malcolm, as a person, is warm. His apartment always smells of crackling firewood and of home, he’s always exuding body heat, and his crystal blue eyes rarely feel cold. He’s also been described as an acquired taste. Consequently, he’s a man who quite enjoys masala chai: spiced teas. He told her of this one day, after taking a sip of her tea.

“I prefer my tea with the taste of cinnamon and ginger,” he muttered on that day, passing the fine china back to her to allow her to drink.

That was all he said on the matter, and after that, she made sure that only the finest vanilla chai was in the break room at the precinct, so that their tea time could be more enjoyable. That was, funnily, before they were actually dating, but it was a moment that Malcolm will never not cherish. He loved his girl like she loved her teas.

Speaking of her, Dani was partial to Earl Grey, through and through, though Malcolm has also sparked her fondness for the Earl’s fruitier counterpart, Lady Grey. Dani is a very particular woman. She’s distinctive, and she sees everything she does through until its absolute completion. Don’t let that fool you, though, she’s also straddling a fine line between gentle and bold, and she’s a bit of an acquired taste herself. Thus, her taste in teas defines her about as much as Malcolm’s does him. 

She responded to him on that day, the day where he told her he prefers spiced teas, by saying “Well sure, but I prefer bergamot and lemon.”

And today, they sit on his couch with a soft stream of music playing over his speakers, sipping their respective teas. God forbid they sit on a couch in the way you’re meant to, though. Oh no, absolutely not. They’re sitting with legs crossed, backs against the armrests, facing each other. Makes for easier conversation. 

“Have you ever wondered what would happen if we combined our teas?” Malcolm asks out of thin air - he’s been thinking that this whole time.

“What? No! Are you insane? Earl Grey and Vanilla Chai would not mix!” Dani outright denies, instantly convinced that her boyfriend is a crazy person. Well, she kind of already knew that, but even more now than before. 

“Okay. Just wondering.” He smiles. He takes a long sip of his tea, thinking about how his mother would feel if she knew that her fine china was used practically every day for the sole purpose of tea with Dani.

The two drink tea like it’s the end of times, one cup leads into another, into another - it’s a moment of happiness for them both. Like if tea time never ends, they never have to worry about anything other than each other and how many tea bags they’ve left until the boxes run empty. 

Dani admires the beautiful man before her. He’s a hot mess, for sure, but he’s hers. His five o'clock shadow has grown into a fuller stubble and a few stray bruises poke their way out from under his white button up, a result of his fall earlier in the week. Even when he’s stuck at home, he’s in nice jeans and a button up, at least. Dani swears she’s only seen him in a sweater maybe twice, and a tee-shirt only before he sleeps or after he’s just woken. She finds it endearing, though.

Malcolm drinks, and then sets down his teacup, and then watches as his lover takes a sip of her own tea. Always the sly dog, he then leans forward and kisses her. Once, twice, again. His spice and her citrus meeting in the middle as their lips dance, tongues swirl. He pulls away, then, smiling. 

“And that, Detective, is what it tastes like when you combine our teas.” He observes, licking his lips as if to detect what notes remain. “Bergamot, definitely.”  
She rolls her eyes at him, granting him no more than a chuckle, “You’re a strange man, Malcolm Bright.”

“I come by it honestly,” he shrugs. 

Eventually, tea time drags to an unfortunate end, and Malcolm and Dani return to their moral obligations, too. But the following afternoon finds the pair sat on Malcolm’s couch, yet again, seeing what happens when you mix bergamot, lemon, ginger and cinnamon.

**Author's Note:**

> This was some plain and simple tooth rotting fluff. It was fun, though! I was drinking tea myself and decided it was high time for some good ole Brightwell fluff.
> 
> It's kind of short, but oh well. I'll produce something better next time (maybe)
> 
> Please don't forget to leave comments/kudos! It means the world! And come hang on my Tumblr- @claremontpsych as well :)


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